Moments of Perfect Beauty
by Bill Hagridsson
Summary: Ginny decides that Harry needs to see a moment of beauty, to counter the ugliness he's seen. Harry shows her he already has one.


**Winner:** Best Humor story in the Hogsmeade 2005 Challenge. Sir Ollivander, SIYE Administration

**One Moment of Perfect Beauty:**

Ginny Weasley was worried about her best friend. It had been a very rough year for Harry Potter. He was now in his sixth year of education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was just over fourteen months since he'd witnessed, through his link with the Dark Tosser, the attack on Arthur Weasley, her father. The time since then had not, by any stretch of definition, been kind to him. Harry had seen his best friends injured at the Ministry, lost his godfather the same night, had to serve detention with that Umbridge toad-woman, and then, on top of it all, he'd had to go back to stay with the Dursley's. The poor boy could just never seem to catch a break.

Two good things, though, had come out of it all. The first, of course, was that Fudge finally acknowledged the truth of what Harry and Dumbledore had been saying for over a year now, about the return of Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort. In the opinion of those who knew both of them the best, it was almost a case of too little, too late. At least the truth was out now, and people had a chance to protect themselves. Among the other measures that had been undertaken, was a relaxation of the Decree against Underage Magic. This allowed students to be able to use magic for most household charms, as well as the obvious, self-defense. That had allowed people to breathe just a bit easier.

The second was that Arthur, Ginny, and her brother Ron, had all gone to collect Harry from the Dursley's on the day after his birthday. There was, this past summer, no waffling on the Headmaster's part about keeping him cooped up any longer than absolutely neccessary, to ensure that the blood protection was in place. In fact, they had arrived at about five minutes after midnight, the morning of July first. Less than a quarter hour later, they'd all been standing in the kitchen at the Burrow. They day they had all returned from King's Cross, Moody, Tonks, Bill, Charlie, and a host of others had immediately started strengthening the wards around the Weasley family home, to allow Harry to go there. They all knew how he would react to the thought of having to return to Grimmauld Place, with all of the memories sure to pop up around every corner.

At first, he hadn't talked to anybody in more than mono-syllables. He'd been grieving for Sirius, and still was, really. Anybody could see how he blamed himself for it, and wouldn't listen to anyone who tried to tell him otherwise. He'd stayed in Percy's old room, sitting at the chair by the window, staring into space. He'd ignored anything that was said, barely eating anything. The first time Ginny had ever seen him out of his room was about a week after he'd arrived.

It had been about two in the morning, and the young witch had gone down for a glass of water. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, she'd been startled to see him laying on the sofa in the sitting room. He was asleep, thrashing, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. He'd kept murmuring Sirius' name, reliving the fall through the veil. Coming closer, she'd seen the tears making their way down his face. She's knelt next to him, wiping the tears from his cheeks and laying a cool hand over his scar. She wasn't sure what she'd said to him, but it'd seemed to help. He'd relaxed and quieted, falling into a deeper sleep, looking much more at peace. Ginny had stayed by him a few minutes more, then gone back to bed, forgetting her water.

The next morning, he'd actually been at the table for breakfast. True, he still didn't say much of anything, didn't eat much either, but it was something. Slowly, over the next few weeks, he'd started to talk a bit, nothing very consequential, mainly weather or quidditch. It was a start. One thing that had been different was that he'd started including her in the discussions. Ginny knew this surprised Ron, and she saw the little looks that Hermione gave her from time to time, but rolled her eyes at her. The bushy-haired witch had, somehow, gotten the idea that Harry harbored feelings for Ginny, more than friendship.

They'd had a few conversations about this since returning to school, most of which had ended with Ginny telling Hermione to bugger off. Not exactly an open topic for conversation. The older girl had confided that she had told the raven-haired what Ginny had said the previous year about giving up on him, but also said she hadn't told him the other part of that particular conversation.

What she had actually said to Hermione was, "I can't wait any longer, Mione. I'll always love him, but I can't take this anymore. I give up." The embarassing crush she'd had on him for so long had died, at the same time that she almost had, down in the Chamber. When she'd awoken to find him over her, begging her not to die, the crush was gone, only to be replaced by something more. When she'd realized that he'd come down to save her, little Ginny Weasley, despite how she'd embarassed him that year, she saw a bit of the real Harry. She'd seen that he was willing to put his life on the line for her, just because she was in danger. All he knew was that she was his best mate's little sister, the one who sent truly embarassing Valentines, who couldn't even speak in his presence. She was still embarassed, every time she thought about plopping her elbow in the butter dish, or the fact that every time she'd seen him that first summer, she'd squeaked and run the other way. Once the crush died and the stronger feelings took it's place, she'd determined that, no matter what happened, she was going to do everything she could to act normally around him. She knew that was the only chance she had of really getting his attention, and she could build from there.

Once they'd all returned to school, things had seemed to get better for him. He'd laughed more often, talked more normally to his friends, and had actually done much better on his school work. Hermione no longer had to nag him to finish essays, even those hated potions scrolls. Since the term had started, they hadn't heard much about attacks on muggle-born or half-bloods, though it was obvious that they still occured. With the heightened sense of awareness among the general wizarding public, though, people were more alert, and better able to fight off the Death Eaters. Harry had even come along to the Burrow over Christmas hols. It seemed that it had been the first truly happy Christmas he'd ever had, surrounded by people who truly loved him. One memory in particular played back for Ginny.

On Christmas Eve, Molly had trying to chivy everyone into their bedrooms, telling them that Father Christmas wouldn't come if they were still up. They'd all rolled their eyes at this, as they were old enough that they no longer believed in that particular myth. Harry had been the last out of the room, and Ginny was almost out of earshot when she'd heard her father gently tease him.

"Come on, Harry. Nothing from Father Christmas if you're still up."

Harry had snorted at that. "Erm , yeah. Right."

Ginny had turned on the stairs, thinking to add her own contribution to the teasing. She'd been stopped dead when she heard what he said next.

"Y'know, it's kind of funny to hear something like that."

"Why's that?"

"Well, ever since I started at Hogwarts, I've come to accept at face value, a lot of things that other people never have a chance to. Muggles, aside from children, don't believe in magic, unicorns, dragons, trolls, all the other things that are part of our world. Kids are probably the only ones who do believe in all of it. They stop believing in most of it right around the same time they stop believing in some happy fat man coming down chimneys, delivering presents to all the good little boys and girls.

"The ironic part of it is that I started to believe in all the rest of it, around the same time that most other children my age stopped believing in someone I never did believe in."

Her mum had interrupted at this point. "Harry dear, you mean you never believed in Father Christmas? Not at all?"

He shook his head and shrugged. "No. You see, if I believed that he brought all these wonderful gifts to every good boy and girl, yet I never saw anything in my cupboard, then what would that say about me? I wanted to believe that I was a good kid, but not getting anything would've kinda shot that down." Another shrug. "I just decided early on that it had to be a lie." A shy smile came to his face then. "I had my doubts that first Christmas at Hogwarts, though. When Ron woke me that morning, telling me I had presents, for just a second, I had the fleeting thought that, just maybe, he'd finally decided I was actually a good kid." He closed his eyes, remembering, then the smile got bigger.

When he opened them, the brilliance that shone out was almost blinding to Ginny. She'd never seen that kind of smile on his face. It was peaceful, almost serene. It broke her heart that he didn't look like that more often. She almost missed what he'd said next, it was said in a much quieter tone.

"When I realized that the gifts were from Ron, Hermione, and you guys, that was even better. I realized then that there were people who actually cared about me, real people. Not some anonymous fat man who did it for everybody. That was a bit of a first for me." He'd turned then, intending to head upstairs, but didn't quite make it.

Before he'd taken a second step, Molly had him wrapped up in one of her rib-crushing hugs, telling him, "Don't you forget it, young man. We've cared about you since you first showed up here, when the boys took that dratted car to get you. We always will."

Ginny had taken the chance then to go the rest of the way up the stairs and to her room. She was stunned, to say the least. That was the most she'd ever heard him open up to anyone.

For the rest of the time they'd been at the Burrow, he'd been like that, talkative, joking, it was like he was someone else. He'd even joined in with her, to cajole, tease and harass Ron and Hermione into admitting their feelings for each other. The biggest shock in all of that had been what he'd told Ron, once his best friends were officially a couple.

He'd pulled Ron to the side and told him, "You know, over the past year or so, I've watched the way you protect Ginny. You have this way of pulling her prospective boyfriends to the side, and threatening them within an inch of their lives, if they step across the line with her. Now, Mione's the closest I'll ever have to a sister, and I really care about her." He paused, to let this sink in. "I'm not going to follow your excellent example perfectly, as I know that she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Come to that, so is Gin. All I'll say is that, if you hurt her, I'll know, and I will take care of it." Then he'd grinned. "That said, congratulations, and it's about time you two figured it out." He'd given his friend a quick one-armed hug, and went out to the paddock, for an hour of flying before dinner.

Ron had a sort of stunned-bunny look on his face when he'd come back to sit down with the girls. After a few moments, Mione had wormed out of him what Harry had said. The normally rational witch, who rarely laughed these days, had actually giggled, at the look on her boyfriend's face, as well as the thought that Harry would actually say that. Ron and Ginny had both been a bit stunned by the giggle. The bushy-haired girl had castigated her roommates enough times for their, in her words, 'Useless giggling.' When he'd come back in for dinner, hair still tousled from the wind whipping through it, looking quite dishy in Ginny's very privately held opinion, Hermione had jumped on him, taking him by surprise.

He'd looked at her and asked, "Erm, it's good to see you too, Mione. I haven't been outside that long, have I?" When she shook her head, he continued. "Besides, in case you've forgotten, your boyfriend is the redhead sitting over on the sofa. You know the one. Tall bloke, kinda thick with girls?"

She released him, nodding, and laughed at that point. She swatted him on the shoulder, saying, "Shut it, you prat. You should talk about him being thick with girls." Her expression softened then. "Do you really see me as a sister?" He nodded, and she stood on tiptoe, to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you. I've always thought of you as my brother."

They'd all been called in to dinner then, and she had given Ginny a significant look as they trooped out. The redheaded girl had tried to figure out what was meant by that look, but nothing was forthcoming.

Back at school after the holiday, things had gone along like that for a short time. About the middle of January, though, he had started withdrawing again, pulling back into his shell. Now, at almost the end of the first week of February, he rarely left Gryffindor Tower, except for the occasional meal, quidditch practice, or classes. He rarely talked to anybody, except where neccessary. He did his schoolwork, played quidditch, led the DA, all the things he'd done before, but it was different now. Previously, after the holidays they'd spent together, Ginny had been able to get him to open up a bit, at least once in a while. Now, though, it was like he'd stopped even noticing anything that went on around him.

There were only two times when he would seem to come out of himself, just a little bit. One was on the pitch. When he mounted his broom and flew up into the air, was the only time he looked like he felt free. His joy in flying was obvious to anyone who knew him. Having that taken away from him the previous year had almost crushed him. Once he was back on his Firebolt, he was in such control he seemed almost to be like a lesser god, maybe a deity of the air or some such.

The only saving grace the previous year was the only other time this year when he looked almost normal, for him. That was when he was leading the DA. At Ginny's laughing suggestion, during the inaugural meeting, the group has named themselves Dumbledore's Army. Harry, though, seemed to be the only one aware that it was quickly apparent to anyone who they were all willing to fight for, and it wasn't the headmaster. Whether he was showing them something new, reviewing something they already knew, or just moving among them during practice, Harry was the one they looked to for approval. He was the one they wanted to please. Even the few Slytherins who had taken to coming this year would stand a little straighter, after he'd complimented their wandwork.

Ginny remembered watching him throughout the meeting last night. He'd been walking among them, correcting stances, adjusting how a student held her wand, telling a third year the correct pronunciation for a charm. He'd stopped by little Rose Zellor for a moment. She'd been having problems casting a Patronus, and he could tell it was bothering her.

"Alright there, Rose?"

She'd started as she realized he was right there. "No. I just can't seem to get this. I guess I just can't seem to find a happy enough thought." The girl she was practicing with suddenly grinned and came over to him, whispering something. His eyebrows had shot almost to his hairline, and just a tinge of pink touched the tips of his ears.

He looked back at the girl and said, "I...erm...don't know if that would work..." He trailed off as she nodded confidently at him. He shrugged, and said, "Alright, then." He'd then stepped up to her and given Rose a quick kiss on the cheek, looking around to see if anyone else had witnessed it. Seeing nobody looking in his direction, he nodded and stepped back. "Give it another try, Rose."

Looking dazed, the third-year took her wand back out, scrunched her eyes shut, and yelled, _"Expecto Patronum!"_ Instead of the silvery vapor most of the other students produced, a seemingly solid hawk flew from her wand. It soared around the room a bit, then perched on a bookshelf right next to her. She reached a hand out to it, and just as it would have nuzzled her palm, it vanished.

"Very good, Rose. Nicely done." He patted her lightly on the shoulder and walked around a bit more. When he came to Susan Bones, it was obvious that she'd seen what had happened with her housemate.

She motioned him over. "Harry?"

"Yes, Susan? Need a hand with something?"

She had a slightly wicked grin, making him just a bit nervous. "Actually, yes. I've been having a problem with the Patronus. I might need a little _extra_ help." She leaned toward him. "Now you can kiss me, Harry."

In a flash, his cheeks went bright red, as he tried to stammer out a response. "Erm...I...um...need to go...check on something." He turned and made tracks for a group on the other side of the room. Susan and Hannah Abbott, her partner in the practice session, giggled over the way he rabbited off. Ginny was hard-pressed not to do the same.

Half an hour later, the group was being dismissed back to their dorms for the night. Ginny helped him straighten everything out. She often wondered why he bothered doing it this way. It was a magical room, after all. Wish it clean, and it would be. Oh, well.

She was on the other side of the room, putting things away, keeping an eye on him. As the last of the other students left, she could almost see the shutters falling back into place. It was like, when he wasn't flying or tutoring other students in defense, he went somewhere else, just leaving enough of himself inhabiting his body to keep it mobile. It was a hard thing to watch. She would've wondered why she persisted, except for seeing him earlier in the meeting. The Harry that teased, blushed, encouraged, coached, that cared, _that_ was the Harry she loved. She didn't care what happened, one day he would be _her_ Harry. Now, how to do it?

As she was contemplating this, she heard a small pop as Dobby came in. "Harry Potter sir, why do you clean by hand, when the room will be clean when you come back next? It seems such a waste of time."

The young wizard shrugged. "I dunno, Dobby. I guess it kind of helps me clear my mind a bit. It feels a little like cheating, if I don't do it by hand, or at least by my own magic, rather than letting the room do it."

The little house-elf cocked his head to one side. "Is Harry Potter sure he isn't a house-elf? Sounded like something Dobby would hear in the kitchens, that did."

Harry had grimaced a bit, then said, "Only at the Dursley's."

Dobby bristled at this, and asked, "What do those bad, bad, people do to Harry Potter?"

"Never mind, Dobby. It's not important. I only have to stay there until my birthday, once school lets out. Then I'll be seventeen, and will never have to see them again. Ever. If I live that long, anyways." The last was added in an undertone.

Ginny really hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she did make note of the fact that as of July thirty-first, he would be permanently out from under the thumb of his aunt and uncle, forever. Counting the months, she made it that she and the Twins had almost five and a half months to plan the payback they would take in his name. She knew that they felt almost as fiercely protective of him as she or Ron did. After all, they were the ones who had seen those bars on his windows. Their mum had thought they had made it up, until they had gone to pick him up two years ago for the Quidditch World Cup.

Originally, they were going to take a portkey into the sitting room, until Arthur had used a disillusionment charm and apparated in the night before, onto the sidewalk. Looking up at the side of the house, he'd been able to see where the bars had been ripped from the siding, two years before. Curious, he had silently gone inside and taken a look around. Everyone had been asleep, and he took a good look. He'd seen the multitude of pictures of a boy that looked like someone had squashed Hagrid down to about five and a half feet, without reducing the mass. He hadn't, however, seen one picture displayed, anywhere, of Harry. Moving up the stairs, he'd seen the locks andthe cat flaps on what he knew to be Harry's room. Back downstairs, he'd had to take a look at the infamous cupboard. Carefully opening the door to the little space under the staircase, he would've thought it too small for anyone to inhabit, much less a growing boy. Then he saw the thin matress lying on the floor. He saw the shelves, with just a few childhood things laying there. On his way out, he took note of where the fireplace should be, from where the chimney was. He'd made sure the next morning, to talk to his friend at the Floo Authority about connecting the house for the day. He was all for inconveniencing that family a little bit. If he could find a way to make it look accidental, all the better. Ginny was sure he'd also 'forgotten' to check the Twins for any trick candies, before taking them along. He'd never admitted anything, especially to his wife, as he knew what her temper could be like. No matter the face he may present to some, he was nowhere near as gormless as he appeared. He never would have lasted as long as he had in the Ministry, otherwise. The only reason Ginny knew all of this was because she'd heard him telling it to Remus, over the summer. The former professor had obviously needed a bit of a pick-me-up at the time, and the snickers this had produced had done the job.

When Harry took the seat across from her at breakfast this morning, she knew he'd had yet another bad night. The bags under his eyes were darker than usual and the scar on his forehead stood out in stark relief. There was also a look in his eyes that chilled her. It was a haunted look, one that told of seeing far, far, too much ugliness, and not enough of beauty. They seemed to belong to someone much older, not to a sixteen year old.

In that moment, she decided that she would make sure that, somehow, he would find one moment of perfect beauty, something to counteract all the ugliness he'd seen in his short life.

In a flash, she had it, The Plan. There was a Hogsmeade weekend coming up in just a week. That's when it would happen, and she knew how she would do it.

When she saw Dumbledore stand a moment later, she knew from the serious look in his eyes that her brilliant Plan was shattered. Anytime the twinkle that usually resided in his eyes dimmed, it bode no good. He waited a few moments, while the noise in the Great Hall died down. When he was sure he had the attention of all present, he made his announcement.

"I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone, but as of last night, Lord Voldemort has again increased his activity, stepping up attacks on muggle-born and half-blood wizarding families." He paused to allow the commotion to die down again. "Last night, Death Eaters attacked a town just twenty miles from here. Fortunately, due to increased vigilance on the part of the public, no fatalities were reported. It is feared, however, that they may be working their way closer to us. It is not certain if he will be able to attack Hogsmeade, as the village is the residence of many talented wizards and witches, who have a decided stake in keeping the area safe. It is, after all, their home, as well as their livelihood.

"However, we find that it does not seem to be in the best interests of our students to expose you to any unneccessary risks. Therefore, it has been decided to cancel visits to Hogsmeade, until further notice."

If the first part of the announcement had caused a wave of voices, then the second part resulted in a veritable tsunami of protests.

Lavender Brown's voice was the clearest. "But sir, next weekend's visit was for Valentine's Day!" A chorus of agreement rose around the hall. Dumbledore raised his hands to still the protests.

"This has been taken into consideration. We have a solution. I assume that most of you are aware of the Room of Requirement?" Seeing the majority of the heads in the hall nodding in agreement, he continued. "Those who are familiar with it will, I believe, pass on the knowledge of this remarkable room to the rest.

"From Friday of next week until the following Monday, the Room of Requirement will be transformed into Hogsmeade, complete with the shops and places you would like to visit. Details of how this will work, as well as how we would like you to help, will be given to the prefects later today, so that they may in turn inform the rest of you. In order to facilitate this, all classes will be canceled this afternoon."

Needless to say, this announcement was the talk of the castle, and almost nobody was able to concentrate too much on their lessons. It seemed as if even the professors were somewhat relieved when lunchtime rolled around, and everyone was released to the dorms after the meal. As the students made their way back to the common rooms, there was veritable pandemonium in the hallways. Everyone seemed to be concentrating on what would be happening next weekend, to the exclusion of all else.

Ginny saw two second-years seemingly forget what floor they were on, and go into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They were out not thirty seconds later, one murmuring, "I heard she snogged Dumbledore once." Continuing along, she saw Seamus and Dean playing keep-away, with Lavender in the middle. She saw something pink, with just a bit of lace fly by, and heard Lav ask, "Are those my knickers you're trying to hide?"

Ginny kept going, quickly deciding she really didn't want to know the answer to that one. She'd heard a few things about Hermione's roommates, and had no desire to find out the truth of them. She finally made it back to the Gryffindor common room, and dropped her bag to the floor, and dropped herself into one of the comfy chairs in front of the fire. She was deciding the final details to The Plan, as she'd come to think of it. It would take a bit of help from Mione, but should work. Satisfied that it was as complete as she could get it without all the details, she looked around, trying to figure out if all the stragglers were back yet. She saw Colin off to one side of the room, and wondered if he'd worked out all the details of the project he'd been working on for the past few weeks. He wanted to find a way to add sound to wizarding pictures. She watched him for a few minutes, casting a charm on the picture before him. All of a sudden, there was a loud rendition of 'Weasley is our King.' At the same time, Hermione and Ron were trying to get everybody's attention, so they could have a meeting, to let them all know how the Hogwarts Hogsmeade weekend would go.

Finally, Ron grew extremely frustrated. "Oi! Creevey! Will you please stop that thing from singing! We need to have a meeting here."

Colin canceled out the charm on the picture, and the meeting started.

Hermione stepped up. "Okay. The order was decided by the Sorting Hat, earlier today. Hufflepuff will go on Friday, our turn is Saturday, Ravenclaw is Sunday, and Slytherin will be on Monday. We need to decide what shops and establishments we want to have, for Saturday. Obviously, the Hog's Head is out, but almost everything else is open to discussion. Now, I assume we all want the Three Broomsticks?" Everyone assented to this, and she wrote it down. "Alright then, Honeyduke's?" Again it was agreed, and put on the list. This went on for the next hour or so, as different places were mentioned. Most were agreed upon, some shot down. Nobody was surprised when Parvati and Lavender campaigned for Madame Puddifoot's. Most of the boys tried to vote it down, but a majority eventually voted it in. When everything was winding down, Ginny got Hermione alone for a few minutes, to let her know what she wanted. She had to do a bit of fast talking, to avoid it being put up for a vote, but once she explained it was for Harry, her friend put it on the list without batting an eye.

On the other hand, that strange look made an appearance again. It seemed for a bit that she was going to ask something, but stopped herself. Ginny was sure she didn't want to know what Mione was so curious about. The fiery-headed witch wasn't stupid by any means, but was fairly sure that she had managed to conceal any feelings she had for Harry, beyond friendship. The only problem was the older girl's inquisitive, highly analytical, nature. In short, it would be almost impossible to keep anything from her. Seeing that she would, in time, figure it out anyway, Ginny decided that it was time to bring in a bit of extra help. A fresh perspective wouldn't hurt at all.

"Hermione, can we go somewhere else for a bit? I need your opinion on something."

With an opening like that, the brilliant witch couldn't resist. Usually, if someone wanted to ask her something, it would be an answer for homework, rather than a personal opinion. "Alright, let's go to the RoR." She led the way out, intensely curious now.

A few minutes later, as they approached the room, Ginny asked her to allow her to call the room. It would be easier to show her what she wanted, rather than try to explain it all.

Across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, right now getting beaten senseless by trolls in tutus, the younger girl walked back and forth in front of the blank section of wall three times, concentrating on what she wanted. When she opened the door that appeared, it was apparent that the scene was that of a hill on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. She led Hermione in, and started to explain what she was looking for, and how she hoped it would help Harry. By the time she was done, the other girl was sniffling, trying to hold back her own emotions. Ginny could sense that there was one of Mione's brilliant smiles trying to break free, but she was holding it back.

"Gin, I think it's a brilliant idea. It's just, well..." She wasn't sure how to continue, but finally decided to just say what was in the back of her mind. "Well, I just don't want you to get your hopes up too far. I know you still care for him, in fact I suspect it's something more?" Seeing that the younger girl wasn't going to answer, indeed wouldn't even meet her eyes, she set a hand on the other's arm in a gesture of support.

Slowly, Ginny looked up. "Am I really that obvious?"

"No, Gin, not really. Only to those who know and love you." She pulled her into a quick hug, then released her. Suddenly, something occured to her. "Um, Gin? I was just thinking, and I think I just realized something." At the questioning look from the other, she continued. "He was fine at the holidays, right?" She got a nod and continued. "It seems like all of this just started about a month ago, after we'd gotten back, right? Well, wasn't that right around the time that Terry Boot asked you out for the Valentine's Hogsmeade visit?"

"Yes, but I said no. You knew that, right?"

"Well, yes, but Harry might not."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Hermione folded her arms in front of her, starting to look exasperated. "You do realize, don't you, that you are the only one he opens up to?"

"That can't be. You and Ron are his best friends, remember? Doesn't he tell you two everything he tells me?"

A smug expression on her face, Hermione shook her head. The smugness she felt at proving her point went away, replaced by a slightly more abashed look. "Actually, since Ron and I have gotten together, we've, well, not been quite as, well, available as we probably should have been." It looked like it pained her to admit this, and it probably did. No matter what else happened, Harry really was very important to her. She really did think of him as her brother, and would do anything for him.

At the same time, Ginny was processing what she'd just been told. "He really doesn't talk to anyone else? What makes you think he feels anything more for me than as a friend?" She wanted to hope, but was afraid to. She'd loved him for so long, with no sign of anything in return.

"You haven't seen the way he looks at you, when he thinks nobody can see him." She chuckled a bit. "Reminds me a little of the way you look at him, actually."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh please, Ginny. I'll admit, you're subtle compared with your brothers, but so is Hagrid, by comparison."

"There is _nothing_ subtle about...oh."

"Exactly. Though, to be fair, to someone who wasn't paying attention, it wouldn't be so obvious."

"Alright then. Help me, here. What suggestions do you have?"

A few days later, Harry was sitting by the fire in the common room, looking into the flames. As Ginny looked at him, she saw that, for once, he didn't have that closed expression on his face. He looked more like he was lost in thought. It was an almost wistful look that graced his features. One of Hermione's suggestions from the other day came to mind, and the cute redhead decided it was worth a shot. She dropped onto the sofa next to him, and leaned her head on his shoulder with a gusty sigh, sounding exhausted.

He sounded amused as he asked, "A bit tired there, Gin?"

"Mm-hmm." She sagged against his shoulder. He hadn't moved away, yet. That had to be a good sign. "I think I spent more energy on dodging dingbat third-years trying to invite me to that Hogwarts Hogsmeade thing, than I did in tonight's practice. Ever since they heard I don't have a date for it, they're queing up, thinking I'm going to say yes. Urg!"

She could feel him chuckle, as much as hear it. "Too irresistable for your own good, yeah?"

She swatted him. "Shut it, prat. Yeah right, irresistable. As if."

"Why would that be so unbelievable?"

Looking up, she could see one of his eyebrows raised. "Oh, please. Like anyone would ask me for my looks."

The other eyebrow joined the first. "Excuse me? Again, why not?"

"Harry, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly the prettiest girl in this school. I've got no chest to speak of, I'm freckled, my legs are entirely too muscular, and to top it off, I've got this hair. Now you, on the other hand, are another story, Mr number three on Witch Weekly's ten most eligible bachelor list."

Laughing, he replied, "Oh yeah. _All_ the girls go for the dark, moody, brooding prat type. That list is just something to pump up circulation and sell more papers. Just a 'How Rich is he?' list. All they care about is money." He fell silent for a minute, them laughed again. "We're really a pair, aren't we?"

They sat there for a few minutes longer, then he turned to her again. "Erm, I was thinking. As neither of us has a date for this silly thing, well, what do you think about the two of us going together?"

Her eyes had drifted closed as she enjoyed leaning against him, but at hearing this, they shot back open. She looked slowly up at him, seeing something unfamiliar, could it be hope?

He started to turn away. "Never mind. It was a dumb idea. You wouldn't want..."

She interrupted with, "Yes. I'd like that. It's not a dumb idea at all."

"Really? You'd want to go with me?"

"Sure. It sounds like fun. Only one problem. Madame Puddifoot's."

He shuddered and said, "Oh yeah. Forgot about that." He gave her a sidelong glance. "You know, that's the only place in Hogsmeade that could get swallowed up by the earth, and it wouldn't bother me a bit."

"Isn't that the place Cho dragged you into last year?"

"Got it in one. Still can't figure what I saw in her. I suppose she's pretty enough, but...I've just never seen how anyone could cry that much without dehydrating, really."

Ginny shook her head and said, "I have no idea why Hermione said everyone had to go in there. I can't stand the place either. Michael wanted me to go in there with him. I looked in the windows and refused. Told him the only way I'd go in was if I could go back to the castle for a beater bat, for the cupids." Frowning, she said, "Nasty little buggers, they are."

At the mental image this provoked, Harry burst into a full-throated belly laugh. Just the thought of her chasing the cupids around the tea shop with a bat was too much for him. After a few minutes, the laughs finally petered out, and he wiped his eyes of the tears that had collected.

"Thanks, Gin. I don't think I realized how much I needed that. We'll have to make sure we each bring a bat. If you're willing to endure that place, then I will, too. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan, Mr Potter."

Over the next week, Harry seemed to be more at ease. Hermione pointed this out to Ginny, seeming to think it was proof that he fancied her. The younger girl scoffed at this, saying, "He's just happy he doesn't have to worry about finding a date or turning down any of the third-years that have been eyeing him up."

Hermione simply smirked at her and said, "Yeah. That's it."

When Saturday morning finally rolled around, Ginny was more nervous than she'd ever expected to be, for a date. She kept trying to tell herself it wasn't _really_ a date, that they were just going as friends. On Friday night, when she'd pointed this out to Hermione, the older girl asked, "Oh? And when, _exactly_, did he say this?"

"Mione, just leave it alone, ok? If anything more happens, that's great. If it doesn't, I'm okay with it, as I don't really expect anything."

At breakfast on Saturday, Harry sat down next to her. "D'you want to go right after breakfast?"

"Sounds good. Why do you have your cloak? We're not going outside the castle, not really."

"Didn't hear that part, eh? The weather in the Room is supposed to be the same as if it was outside. Pretty cold out, today."

"Oh, I guess I did miss that part. Do you mind waiting while I go up and get it?"

"No problem, Gin. Maybe we can find a way to smuggle the beater bats in, eh?"

"Not a chance, you two." Came the voice from behind them.

Harry winked at Ginny, then turned to the bushy-haired witch standing behind them. "But Mione, how are we supposed to have any fun in Madame Puddifoot's then?"

"I'm _sure_ you'll find some other way to amuse yourself. The Room has been set to not allow anyone not actually having a reason to have them from carrying beater bats across the threshhold. Apparently, Dean and Seamus heard you two talking about that a couple of days ago, and Lavender brought it to my attention in time."

"Bugger."

"Ginny! Language. _Honestly!_" Hermione flounced off in search of Ron, so they could make their way to the Room.

The other two watched her stalk off, hearing her mutter darkly about thinking Ginny was the romantic one in the family. The redhead in question rolled her eyes as she turned back to Harry. "She really is easy to set off, isn't she?"

"Too long around your brother, I think."

"Means it'll only get worse."

Once they were done with breakfast, they walked back to the Tower, so Ginny could get her cloak. A few minutes later, they were at the door to the Room of Requirement, waiting their turn to go in.

Neville had invited Luna to accompany him, and they were a cute couple, though the poor boy looked like he would need a headache potion after a full day of trying to decipher her peculiar brand of logic. Harry and Ginny were glad to see them together, though for different reasons. On Ginny's part, it was because she thought Neville was a very nice boy, and could do with somebody paying attention to him for himself. As for Harry, he considered Luna a very good friend. After everything that had happened at the Ministry last June, she'd helped him a lot, in her own odd way. Luna had somehow been just the right person for him to talk to at that point. He was glad to see that she'd gotten over the small crush she'd had on Ron. Merlin only knew where _that_ would have led.

"Good morning, Gryffindors." came Luna's slightly ethereal voice. "How are you this morning?"

Harry chuckled a bit and replied, "Hullo Luna. Not bad this morning. You?"

"Very well, thank you. Good thing it's so cold this morning. Hopefully, it'll keep the nargles sleepy."

Ginny had to ask. "Nargles? Why's that, Luna?"

"Well, they don't like the cold, do they? Nasty little things, they are, always inciting people to do things they shouldn't."

"Oh?"

"Oh yes. They incite the cupids into shooting their arrows at the wrong people. How else do you explain Draco Malfoy dating Moaning Myrtle?"

"Good point. Oh look, I think it's our turn to go in."

Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and practically dragged him in. "Sorry about that, Harry. Luna and I have been friends forever, but she even makes _me_ a bit crazy at times."

He squeezed her hand a bit and said, "Not to worry, Gin. I know what you mean. She's a very nice girl, but..."

"Uh-huh. Come one, let's head over to Quality Quidditch. Maybe we can buy some beater bats."

Laughing, the duo went into the store, but were rebuffed. Apparently, Hermione had furnished them with the names of those who were allowed to have those items, and they wouldn't sell them to anyone not entitled. Grumbling a bit, they went back out to the street, looking in the different store windows. They stopped into Honeyduke's for a bit, as Harry had something he had to do there. He picked up two full cases of Chocolate Frogs, to use as rewards for the younger students in the DA. When the first or second years answered correctly or got a spell down quickly, he gave them a Frog. It worked well as an incentive, and made him one of the more popular instructors in the school, though he wasn't actually a teacher. As they walked to the counter, Ginny spotted a large chocolate heart that she wanted. She pointed it out to Harry on the way past, and he stopped to grab it.

"Harry, I don't have the money to pay for something like that. It's ten Galleons, for Merlin's sake."

"Who said you were paying for it?"

"Harry James Potter, you are not buying that for me. It's entirely too expensive."

"Gin, you've done so much for me since last year. You've been a good friend, and stuck by me. This is the least I can do. Please?"

"Alright, Harry, but please pick something else out. That really is too expensive."

"No. I saw the look in your eyes when you saw this. If anything I can do can put that kind of look in your eyes, then it's worth it. The money is unimportant. I have this huge vault full of money, the whole reason Witch Weekly put me on that blasted list. It's nice to not have to worry about how I'm going to pay for anything, but really, that's really all it is. I mean, Ron gets all uptight about what your family doesn't have, but I'd trade every Galleon I have, for what you guys _do_ have. You have people around you, all the time, who love you, family. Your mum told me over the Christmas hols that I was to consider your family my own, that I was like a seventh son to them."

"But that doesn't mean you have to..."

"I know that, Gin. I want to, okay? With all you've done for me, just let me give a little something back." With this, he used the one weapon he knew would work, the same one that had worked on Molly at Christmas, when she wouldn't accept the gold necklace he'd bought her, with the birthstones for all of her children. It had worked then, and would work now. The puppy-dog eyes.

Faced with that, Ginny couldn't resist. She threw up her hands and said, "Fine."

They met up again outside the shop, and looked around some more. One surprise was that, where Zonko's Joke shop would usually be, a garish logo featuring three huge W's stood instead. They walked into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes feeling a slight amount of trepidation. As much as they both looked forward to seeing the Twins, it was never certain what you would find on the shelves in there. It was just fortunate that both had eaten breakfast, so they weren't tempted in the least to try any of the treats on display. They were spotted as soon as they came in the door.

"Oi! Fred!"

"Yes, George?"

"Get your silly arse out here! Our financial backer is here!"

"Harrykins?"

"And just how many financial backers do you think we have?"

"Just the one."

"Right! Now get out here, you git!"

"Coming!"

Once Fred was out front with his brother, they caught sight of who was with him.

"Do you think this is a date?"

"One can only hope."

Ginny scowled at the two, though it was obvious she was glad to see them. "Aright, you twits, shut it. So, what are you guys doing here?"

They turned to each other.

"Such evidence of love, eh?"

"Indeed. I hope Ronniekins is in a better mood."

"With snogging Hermione all the time, I'd hope so, too."

Harry replied this time. "That all depends on how much he manages to honk her off before they get here."

"Too true."

"So what can we do for you on this fine Hogsmeade day?"

Ginny answered. "First off, answer my question. Did you guys take over Zonko's or what?"

"Alas, no"

"Not yet, at any rate."

"Old man Zonko didn't want to deal with"

"Hauling all his merchandise her, so"

"He asked if we would like to"

"Take his place, this weekend."

The four of them talked for a while, until a large group of students came in. Harry and Ginny took the opportunity to say goodbye, and wandered down the high street a bit more. They came to the side street that Madame Puddifoot's occupied, and looked at each other. Resigned, they walked over and entered the tea shop. The place was just as Harry remembered it from his last visit, full of small tables covered in checkered cloths. The cupids were the same as last time, as well. Still obnoxious, shooting little arrows all over the place, tossing confetti and glitter on everybody. Harry pulled out a chair for Ginny, and pushed it in as she sat. He went to the other side of the table to take a seat. As he sat down, they heard a loud squeal, and he shot back to his feet.

"Harry, are you sitting on what I think you're sitting on?"

"I was." With a laugh, he pulled a bedraggled looking cupid off of his chair, setting it on the next table.

Ginny broke into a fit of giggling she couldn't stop. Not that she tried. Not really. When she finally calmed down again, she looked at Harry, sitting there with his head in his hands. He was laughing right along with her.

"You know, Harry. That takes care of the biggest problem we had today."

"Oh? How so?"

She grinned at him before answering. "I don't think we have to worry about the cupids coming anywhere near us."

He looked around and saw that she was correct. The little flying buggers were skirting their table by a good six feet around. Apparently, they had a pretty good sense of self-preservation.

He shrugged and turned back to her. "Guess not. Should make things a bit more pleasant."

They sat and talked, occasionally sniggering at other students snogging away with not a care in the world. Some of the pairings were a bit on the ridiculous side. Ginny actually had to hold in a belly laugh, when she saw how determinedly Neville was trying to kiss Luna, and the way she kept turning her head at the last moment. She was keeping a close eye on where the cupids were and who they were aiming at. At one point, he actually managed to hit his target, seemingly by mistake. After that, Luna seemed to be the one initiating the kisses. About an hour later, they saw Ron trail Hermione in the door, obviously trying to apologize for something. They seemed to not see Harry or Ginny, and went straight for a table near the back. Mione sat there with her arms crossed, stonily looking back at Ron, as he obviously pleaded for forgiveness for whatever it was he'd done.

Harry looked over at Ginny and said, "I think we'd better scarper, otherwise they'll see us, and I don't want to get dragged into whatever the argument of the day is." She nodded, and he left a few coins to pay for the coffees they'd had, and they walked quickly out.

They walked towards the outskirts of town, taking their time. They paused by the fence surrounding the Shrieking Shack, and Harry looked at it, remembering that this was the place he'd first met his godfather. Sirius. Though the wound of his loss wasn't really fresh anymore, it still hurt. He closed his eyes, as his grief overcame him for a moment. Ginny had heard all about his third year, and knew the significance of this house. She moved closer to Harry and her hand went to his, and gave it a squeeze. After a moment, he squeezed back and opened his eyes again. He used his other hand to wipe away a tear that had started to roll down his cheek.

"Thanks, Gin. You being here for me has meant a lot. I haven't told you that nearly enough. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"You're welcome, Harry. I'll always be here for you. After you saved my life during my first year, I can't ever repay you for that."

They stood there a few minutes longer, then he turned to her and asked, "Where d'you want to go next?"

"Let's go over this way." She pointed at a path that led past the Shack. "There's something I'd like you to see, okay?"

"Alright."

The walked down the path, until they came out into a clearing on the side of a small hill. From where they were, they could see the spires of the castle in the distance. He cast a warming spell on the ground and the two of them sat down.

"What did you want to show me, Gin?"

"This is my favorite place to come during Hogsmeade visits. The view you get from here is spectacular. When I was little, there used to be a house just over there, and a friend of my mum's used to live in it. She used to bring me along when she'd come to visit. We used to sit out on the patio, with a glass of pumpkin juice, and watch the sun go down in the evening." She sighed now. "It's one of my favorite memories."

"This is nice, Gin." It was obvious, though, that he still wasn't sure of why she had brought him here.

"Still wondering what we're doing here, though?"

He nodded. "A bit."

"I'll tell you after the sun sets, alright?"

He nodded in agreement, and they sat back to watch the sun go down. Just as it was at the horizon, an explosion of color played over the undersides of the clouds, over the turrets of the castle in the distance, and over the snow covering the ground. There were oranges, reds of every kind, even purple streaming over it all the display of colors was breath-taking. He turned to say something to Ginny, and his breath really was taken away. The way the colors played over her hair, reflected like fire in her chocolate eyes, mesmerized him. Every color in the sunset was reflected, a thousandfold, in her hair.

Ginny turned to look at him, and was struck by the wonder she saw there. "Harry, are you alright?"

He simply nodded, unable to speak at the moment.

"Harry, you've seen so much in your life, things nobody should ever have to deal with. Not to mention the things you've been forced to do, just to survive. You've had to endure so much already, and it'll probably keep going for a long time. I just thought that, with all the ugliness you've endured, you deserved at least one moment of perfect beauty."

He didn't answer right away, but just looked at her. Finally, he took her hand and shook his head. "Thank you. D'you know what, though? I didn't really need it."

She started to say something back, and he held up a hand to interrupt.

"Let me finish. The reason I didn't need it was because I already had one. Remember last Christmas, when we were all waiting in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, waiting for word on your dad?"

"How could I forget? That was possibly the worst Christmas I've ever had. If it weren't for you, we would've lost him, you know."

He nodded. "I know that now. At the time, it was a bit different. I was, well, confused, to say the least. Anyway, when we were sitting there, waiting, I remember looking around the table at everyone there. You were sitting at the end nearest the fireplace. I looked over at you, and the fire was dying out at that point, just a bit of a glow, really. You were sitting there with your head resting on one hand, half asleep. The fire flared for just a moment, and I saw it reflect off of your hair, and in your eyes. In that moment, I saw every shade that was in your hair, ginger, auburn, true orange, all of them. I saw the flames reflected in your eyes, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. _That_, Ginevra Weasley, is the only moment of perfect beauty I need."

To say that she was in shock would have been the understatement of the century. She'd had no clue that he felt this way. This would definitely need some investigation.

"Why didn't you ever say anything? I know you knew I liked you. It's not like I ever hid it or anything."

"At that point, you were dating Michael Corner, and according to Mione, you were over me. As far as I knew, it wouldn't have made a difference."

She shook her head vigorously. "I never told her I was over you, I said I'd given up. I never thought you'd feel the same way about me. I _never_ stopped loving you."

By this time, they were even closer together. Slowly, Harry closed the gap between them. He gave her a chance to move back, before his lips touched hers. Her hand went to the back of his head, fingers snaking through his ebony locks. An eternity later, they needed to breathe, and reluctantly broke the kiss. They did this quite a few more times over the next couple of hours. The warming charm wore off, but they never noticed. During one of the breaks in between kisses, he caught a glimpse of his watch.

"Um, Gin? It's getting close to curfew." He paused now. "Before we go back, I just want to ask properly. Will you be my girlfriend?"

She seemed to think it over for all of five seconds, before a grin broke out over her face. "Of course I will, you silly git."

Of course, this deserved another kiss. It was quite a while before they finally made their way back to the entrance.

When they got there, walking hand in hand, Hermione was standing there, arms crossed, tapping a foot. She looked at her watch and said, "Well, it's about time..." She trailed off as she noticed their clasped hands, and her eyes went wide. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Both nodded, grins on their faces.

Harry answered for them both. "Yes, it means I finally wised up."

She hugged them both hard. "I'm so happy for you both!" She released them, and peered at a smudge of lip gloss on Harry's upper lip. With a smirk, she said, "Um Harry, you have something on your lips."

A voice to one side said, "Yeah, my sister." Ron was standing there with his arms crossed, a slight smirk on his face. "Looks like the Twins owe me a few Galleons."

"Honestly, Ronald. Betting on your own sister. Haven't you got a romantic bone in your body?"

With that, the argument was off and running. Strange how some things never change.

**A/N:** This story is an entry into the Hogsmeade challenge at SIYE, and was inspired, in part by an episode of Babylon 5, of all things. I hope the 'bonus' phrases didn't stick out too obviously. I tried to work them in as well as I could. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please let me know what you think. BTW, a new chapter of the collaboration between me and my wife, Lullaby, will be posted very soon. Hopefully, the next chapter for LCaS will be ready fairlysoon.


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